Yeah, but what's it like to live with: Big berkeleying Chevys.

Ok, so I posted about this in my Camaro thread, but it didn't seem to garner any attention.

The 77-90 Chevy Caprice. I'd want a late model, since they're lighter, better looking, have more power, etc. They just seem all around better.

Pros:

• Seem like they'd be a good daily.
• Comfy.
• Big trunk.
• Body on frame.
• V8!
• Cheap parts.
• Cop upgrades?

Cons:

• Kind of ugly, at least better looking than a Crown Vic.
• Heavy.
• Probably handles like crap?
• MPGs.
• Being profiled by cops.

Who has owned one of these (or similar)? What was it like to live with? Was it reliable?

There's a bunch of pretty good articles on a project Caprice over at bangshift. It's a fun read, but the usual "bolt on company paid us to bolt this on." I'd want to do things the GRM way (I'm poor).

Wait, body on frame is a pro? I'd say it's more of a con. Never owned one, but they're cool from an old school view. My memory of them is they don't handle very well and are basically huge couches on wheels. I remember when I was in my early teens my best friends' parents had a woody wagon. It had a MPG gauge, which by today's tech was really crude. Hit the gas and the needle went all the way red, let off and it went green.

If you can find a nice one, would make a cool cruise night car. They were built during the "malaise" era, so would probably need a lot of work from stock to make it fun.

I drove a 78 for several years and a 87 for several months. Personally I liked them. Bullet proof, reasonably quick. Will slide around on dirt roads with the greatest of ease and fly like an eagle. Unfortunately, around here they are all painted in candy bar names and have 26" wheels.

Damnit, my automotive ADD is kicking in again. In for more details as well.

^^ was about to post Project Buford T. Justice. big cars aren't my thing, but that looks like FUN.

Curtis or Novaderrick oughta know

I wouldn't discount the earlier cars. The 65-70 is pretty light for its size and very upgradeable with parts from later cars (disk brakes and such). Shares all you pros and eliminates the ugly problem.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: I wouldn't discount the earlier cars. The 65-70 is pretty light for its size and very upgradeable with parts from later cars (disk brakes and such). Shares all you pros and eliminates the ugly problem.

But $$$. The later cars are plentiful and cheap.

RoughandReady tells the truth.
When I bought my 75 Nova, a similarly conditioned example from a year earlier would have moved my price from under 2k to over 5k.
Does the previous generation maybe look a little cooler? Yeah.
2.5 times the price cooler?
Noooooope.

SnowMongoose wrote: RoughandReady tells the truth. When I bought my 75 Nova, a similarly conditioned example from a year earlier would have moved my price from under 2k to over 5k. Does the previous generation maybe look a little cooler? Yeah. 2.5 times the price cooler? Noooooope.

Truth. Better to get what everyone has forgotten than what every baby boomer salivates for, all things being equal. Plus it won't be eaten up with rust or slathered with bondo.

I don't know how it is where y'all are at. Around here, competitively priced American classics come in two flavors: beat to death, rusty bodies or rattle can primer covering a beat to death, rusty body.

Another Pro: The window looks like the perfect height for trucker arm. I hate went the driver's window is too high.

My best friend in college had an 83 with the 305 and police package. This was in the late 80s-early 90s. It was our Bluesmobile, we went everywhere in that car. It was pretty quick for it's time, and handled pretty well for it's size, too. It may be why I have a more favorable view of those cars than a lot of their contemporaries, but I dig them a lot.

I like what snowmongoose said. I really like the big bumper novas, they are cheap, real similar to the muscle cars everyone loves including the aftermarket, but slightly uglier and way cheaper, plus they are two doors, which is always a plus.

I will say project buford looks awesome, never thought I say that about a caprice.

I had an '82 Olds Delta 88, with 350/4bbl. It was a sweet, sweet ride. Quicker than my girlfriend's '76 Camaro, with 305(302?)/2bbl.

In reply to RoughandReady:

You're talking about the 4th most produced car EVER in just a 5 year run, by units/year, its the most common car of all time. Cherry numbers matching big block 2 door examples go for big money, but last I checked the less than pristine and small block examples still go for beater Camry money if you poke around.

i was misled... the thread title promises big Chevies, and it's actually about the downsized cars that were actually built on the previous midsize chassis..

that being said: suspension parts on the B bodies interchange from 77-96, with the 73-77 A bodies also using most of the same parts.. find a 77-79 2 door body with the sloped fastback window and throw the suspension, steering, and brakes from an LT1 powered 94-96 9C1 (cop car) with Impala SS lowering springs and matching 17" wheels and you will have a car that handles and drives better than it really should. maybe throw in some poly or solid body mounts to tie it all together better..

regarding weight: the early models aren't really all that heavy compared to what they grew into- think 3500 pounds or so for a decently optioned model. any Chevy V8 engine is a bolt in deal, with the later LS engines being only a set of easily fabricated motor mount adapters away from physically bolting in..

ooh.. don't know how i forgot this: 70-81 F body (Camaro, Firebird) and 75-79 X body (Nova, etc) front suspension stuff is also the same- or at least interchangeable- so there are a lot of places to look for suspension upgrade parts- like tubular upper control arms for like $50 a piece from circle track suppliers and big hollow sway bars from the late 70's Trans Ams...

My boss owns an 87 Caprice with a throttle body injected V6. It is fairly clean as he doesn't use it much. I have never been a huge fan of these cars, but I keep trying to get it from him. I think it would be fun with a V8.

they look great on the outside but i hate the seats and dash. i have had a few, all wagons in that era. i much prefer the 91-96 cars just for interior feel.

i would not overlook any of them though. one issue is that the 9c1 got the bigger brakes/rear axle/5x5 wheels. so before you go assuming "cool i can bolt on impala ss/truck/whatever wheels" check to see what's up. all the civilian sedans got 5x4.75 camaro sized stuff. so for example snagging the spindles and brakes off a 91+ at the yard to get 12" rotors would give you bigger bolt pattern on one end. pretty sure you can order 1LE rotors from a 3rd gen camaro to fit those spindles though to keep the smaller pattern.

impala or 9c1 sway bars swap right on if you get the brackets that bolt into the rear control arms. likewise with any other goodies.

In reply to Mazdax605:

4.3 v6? Absolutely bulletproof.

I thought about a box Caprice when cruiser shopping and went with my Catalina Safari instead. I figured I'd go big or go home.

Still, those Caprices are enticing. I drove a '78 Malibu in high school. The Malibu is a bit smaller, but the back windows do not roll down. Crazy, huh? In that case, I'd have to go with the Caprice.

On a related note, ever see one of the box Caprices with the aero rear window?

In reply to novaderrik:

I come from the world of imports, so that thing is huge. I'm glad there's so much interchange though, sounds like a winner.

David S. Wallens wrote: On a related note, ever see one of the box Caprices with the aero rear window?

There is a two-door one I pass by on the way to work. Unfortunately the rear window is broken, looks like someone tossed a rock/brick at it.

The coupes with the folded rear window are cool, but a 4 door is more practical and therefor better. 20 cubic feet of trunk!

We've had a couple of these over the years (one box, one whale). Handling on the box was completely unexpected. The 9C1 bits make a HUGE difference. big brakes, bigger sway bars made a huge difference. In fact, that is a "down the road" project for me.

JohnInKansas wrote: Damnit, my automotive ADD is kicking in again. In for more details as well.

That is just sexy. It needs less carb'd 350 and more LSx truck engine though